Death toll from Kentucky winter weather increases to 22, Gov. Beshear says

Christopher Leach, Lexington Herald-Leader on Feb 5, 2026

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The death toll from prolonged winter weather in Kentucky has increased to 22, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday.

The new deaths were reported in Floyd, Grayson, Hardin, Hart, Leslie and Madison counties. The ages of the new deaths ranged from 59 to 92 and included four men and two women, Beshear said.

Other deaths have occurred in Adair, Ballard, Daviess, Fayette, Graves, Hart, Morgan, Jefferson, Johnson, Livingston, Owen, Pulaski and Whitley counties.

“Lets pray for the families of all these lost Kentuckians, as well as everyone that’s been lost during this storm,” Beshear said during his weekly Team Kentucky update. “Let’s make sure we wrap our arms around them and help them through this tough time.”

One of the newest deaths was a 69-year-old woman from Madison County. Beshear didn’t release the victim’s name, but the gender and age match a woman who fell in the parking lot of a senior living home Monday and was later found dead.

Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison previously said his office was investigating if winter weather was a factor in the woman’s death.

Central Kentucky has seen nearly two full weeks of sub-zero temperatures following the arrival of Winter Storm Fern, which dropped several inches of snow and ice on the region Jan. 24 and 25.

Victims of the winter weather have died from hypothermia, falling on ice, heart attacks while shoveling snow and being trapped inside house fires.